Electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off.



No.. 735,541. 4 PATENTBD AUG. 4,1903,l

HLJ. LYONS. ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER AND SHUT-OEI'. APPLICATIONl FILED* DEO. 1 9, 1902. no MODEL. 4 snnTssHn'n'r' 1.

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110.735,541. n PATBNTED AUG. 41903. H. J. LYoNs.

ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER AND SHUT-OFF. APPLIOATI'ON FILED DB0. 19. 1902. A 4lio Ionm.. v 4 SHEETS-suma.

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No. 735,541. BATBNTBD' AUG. 4, 1903.

H. J. LYONS.

ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER AND SHUT-OPF.

APPLICATION I'ILBD DEC. 19, 1902. N0 MODEL.

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No'. 735,541. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

E. J. LIONS; ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC CAS LICHIEE AND SHUI-CEI.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 19, 1.902.

N0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-.SHEET 4- ATTORNEYS, l'

UNITED STATES i Patented August 4, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE. l

ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER AND SHUT-OFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,541, dated August 4, 1903.

Application iiled December 19. 1902. ySerial No.135,852. (No model.)

To LZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HARRY J. LYoNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Guyandotte, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Electric Automatic Gas Lighter and Shut-Off, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an electric autolnatic gas lighter and shutoff, my main object being to provide for igniting a plurality of burners stationed at different points and to provide for automatically shutting off the gas, so as to prevent the same being turned on again under conditions of danger.

Among the particular objects of my invention are the following: iirst, to ignite the burners when the gas is turned on after having been turned off incidental t a break in the main or other like mishap; second, to provide a safety-lighter for use when the occupants of the house are asleep, so that no matter how many times the gas may be turned off and ou at any point in the line there is no danger of unburned gas escaping from the burners; third, to provide an automatic shut-off for use more particularly when the batteries are exhausted or when for any reason there is danger of the gas being turned on after being shut off.

When my machine is used as a lighter, it causes the gas at any time it may be turned on to be ignited at the burners; but when used as an automatic shut-off my machine'causes the gas when once shut olf from the main or from avalve to stay shut off so far as the burners are concerned even if turned on again at the main or valve.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is t0 be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the principal portion of my device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of divers contacts used for energizing the motor and the Ruhmkor coil and for actuating divers of the electric cir`` vboard of the bellows being shown at 5.

cuits. Fig. 4is a plan of the gas-pipe mechanism forming part ot' the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the wiring and electrical connections, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan of the commutator-shaft 42 and parts immedately connected therewith.

The casing 1 is providedV with a shelf 2, preferably removable. A bellows 3 is provided with a rubber pad 3a, secured upon the under side of the upper board 4, the lower A pipe 6 is provided for the purpose of conveying gas from the main into the machine. A hand-valve 7 is provided in the pipe 6 for the purpose of turning the gas on and off at will. The pipe 6 terminates in a nipple 8, which enters the bottom board 5 of the bellows, preferably at about the center thereof. A branch pipe 9 (shown to better advantage in Fig. 4) is connected with the pipe 6 and is provided with a small hand-valve 10, which is used to turn the gas on and off through the nipple 11. A pipe 12 is connected with a nipple 14 and also with the several burners to be lighted. The immediate purpose of the bellows is to start the apparatus into action, so as to light the burners, and then when the gas is cut off, either from the main or by means of the hand valve 7, to prevent the subsequent entry of gas from the main to the bellows except when the valve is opened for the purpose.

When the machine is used as a lighter, the valve 10 is normally left open, thus allowing the gas when turned on by the valve 7 or by the valve at the main to pass upward through the nipple 8 into the bellows and out through the nipple 14 and pipe 12 tothe several burners and to be there ignited, as elsewhere explained. If now the flow of gas be cut off either at the main or at the valve 7, the residual gas in the bellows all flows through the nipple 14 and pipe 12 to the burners,V thus allowing the board 4 to descend until the rubber pad 3 rests upon the nipples 8 and A14. If the gas be subsequently turned on from any cause, the valve l0 lbeing open the pressure of the gas upon the large area of the board 4 causes the board to rise and the gas to be again lighted at the burners.

When the device is used as a shut-ofE-as, for instance,when thelbatteries are exhausted and the materials for renewing them are not IOO ' to the burners.

at hand-the valve 10 is normally closed, thus preventing the flow of gas into the bellows except through the nipple 8. This being the case, when the iow of gas to the bellows is once cut off the board 4 descends until the pad 3au rests upon the nipples 8 and 14. 1f now the gas be turned on again, it is unable to raise the board, because the only pressure it can exert is upon a very small portion of the area of the rubber pad 3a instead of upon the area represented by the entire top of the bellows, as would be the case if the valve 10 were open. The result is that when the flow of gas is cut off at the main or at the valve 7 the gas-jets are soon extinguished, and if the gas be turned on again no part of it goes When the apparatus is thus used as a shut-off, in order to inate the bellows after the same has been completely inflated it is necessary to open the hand-valve 10 for an instant, thereby allowing the gas to pass through the auxiliary pipe 9 and nipple 11 directly into the bellows. The instant the pad 32L clears the nipples 8 and 14 the handvalve 10 may be closed, the pressure now being sufcient to continue the upward movement of the board 4.

A vertical rod 15 is provided with a spiral spring 16 and with a plate 17, so that vertical movements of the rod 15 cause the plate 17 to move vertically. Guide-rods 18 are rigidly connected with a board 18a and with the shelf 2. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Contact members 19 2O are mounted upon the plate 17 and are free to engage with the contact members 2l 22, which are rigidly connected upon the board 18% Wires 23, 24, 25, and 26 are connected, respectively, with the contact members 19, 2U, 21, and 22. (See Figs. 2, 3, and 5.) A contact member 27 is mounted upon the shelf 2 and may be engaged bya contact member 29, mounted on the under side ofthe plate 17. Wires 28 and 30 engage the contact members 27 and 29, respectively. -A blind contact consisting of members 31 and 32 may be provided, as indicated in Fig. 3, for thev purpose of supporting and balancing the contacts consisting of the members 27 and 29. No wires are connected with the blind contact.

A battery 33 is provided for the purpose of energizing the electric motor 37. The battery is connected by a wire 35, supported by a binding-post 34, with the field-magnet 36 of the motor 37. From the field-magnet awire 38 leads to the brushes 37rt and commutator 39 of the motor. From the lower brush a Wire 40 is connected with the wires 24 and 28 of the contact members 2O 27, above mentioned. A binding-post 41 may for convenience be provided for supporting a wire 40, which is connected with the battery 33, and it is also connected with a wire 40b (shown more particularly in Fig. 5) for a purpose hereinafter described.

A commutator-shaft 42 is provided with large sectors 43 44 45 and with insulating-sections 46 47 48. A plurality of spring-brushes 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 are connected with the respective wires 26, 40", 30, 40, 23, and 80, as indicated in Fig. 5. The insulatingsections 46 47 48 are disposed in a staggered relation. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the circuits being completed through all of the brushes at the same time. These brushes are used for different purposes, as hereinafter claimed. Mounted upon the commutator-shaft 42 is a gear-wheel 55, which forms a part of the train of gearing 56 57 58, whereby the motor 37 is connected with the commutator-shaft. A plate 59 is provided for the purpose of supporting the gearing mentioned. A shaft 60 is connected with the gear-wheel 56 and with a revoluble arm 6l. A link 62 is connected with the crankpinsv 63 63a, being further connected by a link 64 with a revoluble arm 65. r1`his revoluble arm constitutes a movable contact member for successively engaging several stationary contact-buttons 67, carried by a support 66. When the motor 37 is in action, the arm 65 sweeps radially around one or more times, thereby engaging all of the buttons 67. Connected with the several buttons 67 are wires 68, which pass to binding-posts 69 and thence to the burners 70 to be lighted. The several return-Wires 71 are also connected with the burners in the usual manner and are all branched from the single return-wire 72. A battery73 is used for the purpose of energizing the Ruhmkori coil. From the battery 73 a wire 74 is connected with a binding-post 75. From this binding-post a wire 76 leads to another binding-post 77, constituting one of the terminals of the primary winding 78 of the Ruhmkorl-f coil. The other terminal of this primaryis shown at 79. The wire 25 leads from the post 79 to the contact member 21, as above described. The Wire 8O is supported bya binding-post 81. The secondary winding is shown at 82 and is provided with binding-posts 83 84, serving as terminals. From the post 83 a Wire 85 leads to the arm G4, and an interrupter 82, of the usual pattern and provided with an adjustment 83il of the kind ordinarily used, may be provided, as indicated in Fig. 2. The revoluble arm 64 passes over the buttons 67, so as to form a make-andbreak contact, as in a commutator. The

parts mentioned may therefore be considered as part of the commutator, of which the shaft 42 is the prime mover. In other Words, the sectors 43 44 45 and the buttons 67 are in reality all parts-of a commutator in that these parts are all connected together and are driven simultaneously by the same agency.

The general operation of the machine when used as a lighter is as follows: The board 4 being in its lowermost position, the valve 10 being open, and the gas turned on, of course the gas hows freely into the bellows and eX- erts a pressure upon the entire area of the board 4, causing it to rise. The gas iows freely to the several burners. The board 4 IOC' TIO

as it rises forces the rod 15 upward, thus raising the plate 17 and causing the contact members 19 20 to engage the contact members 21 22, thereby completing two circuits leading, respectively, to the electric motor and to the primary winding 78. The motorcircuit is as follows: battery 33, wires 35, field-coil 36, wire 38, brushes 37a, collectorring 39, wire 40, wire 24, contact members 2O 22, wire 26, brush 49, sector 43, brush 50, wire 40h, and wire 40"L back to the battery 33. This circuit energizes the electric motor and by means of the gearing above described causes the arm 64, serving virtually as a part oi' the commutator, to make one or more revolutions, thereby closing the contact with each of the buttons 67 in succession. As above explained, the buttons 67 are connected by wires 68 and 72 with the burners 70, so that the circuit is completed to each individual burner by the revolution of the arms 64. By this means each burner receives a spark representing the entire potential of the secondary winding of the Ruhmkorff coil, the gas being thereby ignited in each individual burner. by the contact members 19 21, is used for energizing the Ruhmkorff coiland is as follows: battery 73, wire 74, binding-post 75, wire 76, binding-post 77, primary coil 78, binding-post 79, Wire 25, contact consisting of members 21 and 19, wire 23, brush 53, sector 45, brush 54, and wire 8O back to the battery 73. This energizes the primary winding 78, and this winding by induction energizes the secondary winding 82, thereby causing sparks to occur in each of the burners, as above described, the revoluble arm 64 serving as a distributer to the several wires 68, leading to the burners. The rotation of the motor-gearing causes the shaft 42 to turn until the insulating-sections 46 48 engage the brushes 49 50 and 53 54. Vhen this occurs, both the motor and the Ruhmkorff coil are thrown out of action, the circuit being broken between the brushes and the sectors 43 45. The motor and Rnhmkorft coil will thereby remain idle so long as the gas continues to burn, the battery-circuits being open, so as to avoid unnecessary waste of battery materials. Suppose now that the opera tive desires to extinguish the lights. He cuts off the gas by means of the hand-valve 7. The gas which remains in the bellows 3 now makes its escape through the pipe 12 to the burners, and the board 4 gradually descends until the pad 3a closes the nipples 8 and 14, leaving the nipple 11 unobstructed, as above explained, so that when the gas is again turned on the burners will be automatically lighted. The descent of the board 4 closes the contact consisting of the members 27 and 29, thereby completing the motor-circuit through the following connections, to wit: battery 33, wires 35, field-coil 36, wire 38, brushes 37a, collector-ring 39, wires 40 and 28, contact member 27, wire 30, brushes 51 52, wire 40a, back to The other circuit, which is closed battery 33. This causes the motor to run until the insulating-section 47 intervenes between the brushes 51 and 52 and the sector 44, thereby opening the circuit and stopping the motor. The object of this last movement of the motor is to leave the commutator in a position favorable to starting the device in order to light the gas next time. During this movement of the motor the Ruhmkor coil is idle because of the break between the contact members 19 21.

It will be observed that after the several lights have been extinguished the device is perfectly safe and that no escape of gas can take place even if the valve 7 be open. It will be further observed that any means which may admit gas into the bellows will necessarily cause the gas at the burners to be ignited, for the reason that the gas in the bellows must necessarily close the contacts above described, thereby throwing the motor into action and completing the several circuits.

To use the machine as a shut-off, the valvev 10 is closed, which may be done safely while the lights are burning. The general flow of gas being cnt off from any cause, the board 4 descends until the pad 3a rests upon the nipples 8 14. If now the liow of gas be turned on, its pressure is unable to lift the board 4 because exerted upon too small an area. The :result is, with the valve lO closed, as stated, that the gas may be turned on and off repeatedly, none of it being sent to the burners. By opening or closing the valve 10, therefore, the operative may at will employ the machine either as an automatic lighter or as an automatic shut-off. If for any reason the operative desires to turn the gas on to the burners when the batteries are not in action, he merely opens the valve 10 for an instant and then closes it. The momentary pressure exerted upon the large area of the board .4 lifts the board clear of the nipples 8 and 14, after which the board continues to rise by virtue of the pressure of gas passing through the nipple 8 alone.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising a bellows to be connected with a gas-main and with gas-burners, means, controllable at will, for inflating said bellows with gas from said main, and electric mechanism connected with said bellows, and controllable thereby, for automatically lighting said gas at said burners when said bellows is inflated.

2. An electric automatic gas lighter and IOO IIO

IIS

shut-off, comprising a bellows to be connected with a gas-main and with gas-burners, means, controllable at will, for inflating said bellows with gas from saidmain, electric mechanism connected with said bellows, and controllable thereby, for automatically lighting said gas at said burners when said bellows is iniiated, and means for normally prevcntrlgtlle. alltomatic inflation of said bellows by gas-pressure alone.

3. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-oft, comprising a normally deflated bellows to be connected with a gas-main and with gas-burners, means, controllable at will, for inflating said bellows with gas, electric mechanism connected with said bellows, and controllable thereby, for automatically lighting said gas at said burners when said bellows is inflated, and mechanism connected with said bellows for automatically stopping the flow oi" gas when said bellows is defiated.

4. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-oft, comprising a normally dellated bellows to be connected with a gas-main and gasburners, means, controllable at will, for inllating said bellows with gas, electric mechanism connected with said bellows, and controllable thereby, for automatically lighting said gas at said burners when said bellows is inflated, mechanism connected with said bellows for automatically stopping the flow of gas when said bellows is deflated, and means, controllable at will, for causing said gas of said mains to inflate said bellows.

5. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising a bellows, a main inletpipe and an auxiliary inlet-pipe connected with said bellows, means, controllable at will, fol` opening and closing said auxiliary inletpipe, mechanism controllable by said bellows for opening and closing said exit-pipe and said main inlet-pipe, and electric mechanism controllable by said bellows when inflated for lighting the g'as in said burnerse 6. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-oit, comprising an automatic sparking device, iring connecting the same with the burners to be lighted, mechanism connected. with a gas-main and with said burners for the purpose of conveying gas from said main to said burners, said mechanism being provided with a member normally free te move when actuated by gas-pressure, mechanism connected with said member and with said sparking device for the purpose of starting said sparking device into action, and means, controllable at will, for admitting gas from said main to said mechanism provided with said movable member.

7. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-olf, comprising an automatic sparking device, wiring connecting the same with burners to be lighted, mechanism connected with a gas-main and with said burners for the purpose of conveying gas from said main to said burners, said mechanism being provided with a member normally free to move when actuated by gas-pressure, mechanism connected with said member and with said sparking device for the purpose of starting said sparking device into action, means, controllable at will, for admitting gas from said main to said mechanism provided with said movable member, and mechanism controllable by said movable member for stopping the iiow of gas when said movable member assumes a predetermined position.

8. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising an automatic sparking device, wiring connecting the same with burners to be lighted, mechanism connected with a gas-main and with said burners for the purpose of conveying gas from said main to said burners, said mechanism being provided with a member normally free to move when actuated by gas-pressure, mechanism connected with said member and with said sparking device for the purpose of starting said sparking device into action, means, controllable at will, for admitting gas from said main to said mechanism provided with said movable member, mechanism controllable by said movable member for stopping the flow of gas when said movable member assumes a predetermined position, and a hand-valve for subsequently starting the flow of gas when thus stopped by said movable member.

9. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising a pressure-motor to be connected with a gas-main,contacts connected to said pressure-motor,an electric motor in circuit with said contacts., a source of electricity for energizing said contacts, a commutator geared to said motor and actuated thereby, a Ruhmkorfl:` coil provided with a primary and a secondary winding, open-circuit wires connected with said secondary winding and with the gas-burners, a source of electricity for energizing said primary winding, and means, controllable by said pressure-motor, for closing the circuit through said primary winding.

10. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising a pressure-motor to be connected with a gas-main, contacts connected with said pressure-motor, an electric motor in circuit with said contacts, a source of electricity for energizing said electric motor, a commutator geared to said motor and actuated thereby, a Ruhm kor coil provided with a primary and a secondary winding, opencircuit wires connected with said secondary winding and with the gas-burners, a source of electricity for energizing said primary winding, means, controllable by said pressure-motor, for closing the circuit through said primary winding, and selective mechanism actuated by said electric motor for distributing the secondary currents to different burners.

11. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-ott, comprising pressure-motor to be connected with a gas-main, a contact-plate connected with said pressure-motor and movable thereby, a plurality of contacts mounted upon said plate, an electric motor connected with two of said contacts and controlled thereby in accordance with the relative position occupied by said contact-plate, a source of electricity for energizing said motor, a movable commutator geared to said motor and driven thereby, open-circuit wiring connected with said commutator and with the burners to be IOO IOS

lighted, an induction device provided with a primary and a secondary Winding, said secondary winding being electrically connected with said open-circuit wiring and said primary winding being connected with one of said contacts, and a source of electricity for energizing said primary Winding.

l2. In an electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, the combination of a revoluble commutator provided with fixed and movable contact members,means for actutating said commutator, open-circuit Wiring connected With said fixed and movable contact members, an electric sparking apparatus connected with said open-circuit Wiring, means for energizing said sparking apparatus, and mechanism for stopping and starting said sparking apparatus.

13. An electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, comprising gas-burners, means for supplying gas thereto, electric mechanism controllable bythe pressure of said gas for lighting'said burners, cut-olf mechanism controllable by a tension member normally opposing said pressure of said gas, and means, controllable at Will,for applying said gaspressure to said tension member and relaxing said pressure therefrom.

14. In an electric automatic gas lighter and shut-off, the combination of mechanism to be connected With a gas-main and with gas-burn ers,said.mechanisxn being actuated by the gaspressure from said main, means controllable at will for directing said gas-pressure into said mechanism from said main, and electrical ap paratus connected With said mechanism and controllable thereby for automatically lighting the gas at said burners.

l5. In an electric automatic gas lighter and shut -oi, the combination of an iniiatable member to be connected with a gas-main and actuated by gas-pressure,said inliatable member being connected With gas-burners, means' HARRY J. LYONS.

Witnesses:

WILLIS E. MAYBERRY, JUNE O. MAYBERRY. 

